Summary
Road haulage is an important part of the logistics industry and makes a vital contribution to the economy. Road haulage operators face several challenges, in particular the recruitment and retention of large goods vehicle (LGV) drivers to meet current and future demand.
It is widely accepted, including by the Government, that there is a shortage of drivers that ranges from about 45,000–60,000 depending on the source of the data. For every driver the sector needs there are three people in the UK with a valid LGV licence who could do the work but two in three choose not to.
There is no single cause for the shortage which arises from a combination of factors including: lack of investment in drivers and driver training, poor roadside facilities, poor terms and conditions, the relative attractiveness of other similar jobs and the cost of licence acquisition.
The shortage could be made worse as older drivers leave the sector and demand for drivers grows as the economy recovers. Changes in rail and water freight, use of distribution centres and white fleets, urban congestion and a move to smaller delivery vans, growth in online shopping and home delivery, and the prospect of driverless lorries could all affect levels of demand for drivers in the future.
Industry must take steps to improve terms and conditions so it can recruit and retain the drivers it needs. It will need to invest more in recruitment, training and driver welfare following years of under-investment. This is particularly challenging for many of the smaller operators, especially given the very tight margins they face.
Facilities for drivers are scarce and inadequate and must be improved. The provision of roadside facilities is principally a matter for the private sector, but the Government can take steps to encourage investment in more and better facilities. We welcome the Government’s commitment to a survey of roadside facilities. It is not sufficient to look just at the roadside facilities on the strategic road network. Many of the problems arise at depots and customer facilities where drivers collect or deliver goods and materials.
Drivers are predominantly over 45, white and male. The industry needs to be more representative of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups and women. It must do more to encourage young people to become drivers. We do not think the sector will be able to broaden its appeal beyond its core demographic unless there are changes in the approach to driver training, the funding of licence acquisition, and facilities for drivers.
The road haulage sector is competing with other sectors for young people leaving schools and colleges. Many of the options young people will consider require some additional training, but it is unusual for them to require new entrants to fund the acquisition of licences and pay for the additional training. It is not surprising that young people will look at jobs driving vans or buses where they do not need additional qualifications or will be funded to acquire them.
Current measures by industry and Government are not sufficiently targeted or wide-reaching to deliver drivers fast enough to address the shortage, cope with the ageing cadre of drivers likely to retire in the next ten years or deal with future growth. The Government’s support, in the form of apprenticeships and loans, is welcome and we expect to see it being more active in providing this kind of support. Government and industry should also assess the impact of any steps to alleviate the driver shortage on other parts of the logistics sector. For example the natural career path from driver to transport manager might be disrupted.
Investment in recruitment needs to be safeguarded by investment in retention; unless conditions for drivers improve the sector could lose people faster than it recruits them. The UK’s exit from the EU may also adversely affect driver numbers.
We believe there are four steps the Department for Transport can take:
(1) coordinate activity across Government affecting LGV drivers;
(2) work with the logistics sector, insurers and those involved in the delivery of driver training to improve apprenticeships, promote the industry, improve the delivery of careers advice, and raise awareness of the road freight sector in colleges and schools and among jobseekers;
(3) continue to improve the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence; and
(4) provide clear, accessible guidance on skills, funding and support, employer standards, regulation and insurance for young drivers.
© Parliamentary copyright 2015
27 July 2016